Vehicle immobilization system

ABSTRACT

A system for immobilizing a stolen vehicle comprises a unit  10  for mounting in a vehicle and first and second remote control device  11, 21.  The vehicle unit  10  comprises a receiver  13  for receiving wireless control signals directly from the remote control devices  11, 21  and means  15  for immobilizing the vehicle in response to predetermined control signals from either remote control device  11, 21.  The first remote control device  11  is arranged to transmit a predetermined control signal which is substantially unique to the receiver  13  and the second remote control device  21  comprises means  16  for selecting the predetermined control signal to be transmitted.  
     In use, the first remote control device  11  is kept by the vehicle&#39;s owner, so that the vehicle can be disabled each time it is left unattended. The second remote control  21  device is kept by the police and in the event of a vehicle theft, the police merely have to identify the vehicle, select an appropriate control signal and then transmit the control signal, either from a pursuit vehicle or from the roadside, to disable the vehicle.  
     The system is essentially a conventional vehicle immobilization system with the added facility that it can be activated by the police. Thus, the cost of the system to a vehicle manufacturer or owners is no greater than the cost of a conventional vehicle immobilization system, of the type commonly fitted to vehicles.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of International Patent Application PCT/GB99/04132. filed Dec. 9, 1999.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to a vehicle immobilization system.

[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0005] Vehicle thefts and joy-riding are commonplace nowadays. Typically, the most conventional way adopted by the police of stopping a stolen vehicle is either by pursuing it or by placing a device on the road, which punctures the vehicle's tires.

[0006] Both of the above-mentioned methods of stopping stolen vehicles are unsatisfactory, since they generally involve dangerous pursuits at high speeds.

[0007] It has been proposed to overcome the above-mentioned problem by providing a system for remotely disabling a vehicles engine. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat No. 5,276,728, which comprises a first remote control device having means for transmitting a predetermined wireless control signal, a second remote control device also having means for transmitting the predetermined wireless control signal, and a vehicle unit having a receiver for receiving the control signals and means for disabling and enabling the vehicle in response to either of the control signals.

[0008] In use the first remote control device is carried by the vehicle's owner and is used to enable and disable the vehicle upon leaving and returning to the vehicle. The second remote control device is carried by the police and can be used to disable the vehicle if it is stolen After the disabled vehicle has been recovered, the police are able to enable the vehicle.

[0009] A disadvantage of the above-mentioned system is that the police need to know the appropriate code in order to disable a stolen vehicle and this is often difficult to obtain, at least within a reasonable time. It may be possible to obtain these details from a database by entering the vehicle's license plate number. However, stolen vehicles often have forged plates bearing a false number.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention therefore provides, as seen from one aspect, a vehicle immobilization system in which the second remote control device used by the police comprises externally operable means for entering the type (e.g. the make or model) of the stolen vehicle and for selecting the control signal to be transmitted from the entered type,

[0011] In this manner the police are instantaneously able to disable an identified vehicle.

[0012] In order to overcome the problem of inadvertently disabling innocent vehicles of the same make, the present invention also provides an immobilization system for a vehicle in which the second remote control device used by the police comprises means for respectively transmitting directional signals which respectively enable and disable vehicles.

[0013] Thus, any innocent vehicles which are inadvertently disabled can be enabled. In a preferred embodiment, the aerial transmitting the disabling signal is mounted to transmit the signal forwardly from a police vehicle, in order to disable a vehicle which it pursuing. The aerial transmitting the enabling signal is mounted o transmit the signal rearwardly from the police vehicle, in order to enable any innocent vehicles which it passes that have been inadvertently disabled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] An embodiment of this invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

[0015]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle immobilization system in accordance with this invention;

[0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a remote device of the system of FIG. 1, for installing in a police vehicle; and

[0017]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the system of FIG. 1 being used to stop a vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT SHOWN IN THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, there is shown a vehicle immobilization system comprising a unit 10 for mounting in a vehicle, and one or more remote devices e.g. 11 which are kept by the vehicle's owner for enabling and disabling the vehicle

[0019] The system may be fitted in a vehicle from new, alternatively it may be fitted to an existing vehicle as an accessory. The remote control device 11 comprises a transmitter which is connected to an aerial 21. The remote control device 11 transmits a coded control signal when an actuator thereon is actuated.

[0020] The vehicle unit 10 is normally mounted under the bonnet of the vehicle and a small aerial 19 is provided for receiving wireless control signals from the remote control device 11. The aerial 19 is connected to a receiver 13, which receives and decodes any signals that are received. The decoded signal is then passed to a control circuit 14, which verifies that the received code corresponds with a predetermined code, which is substantially unique to the vehicle.

[0021] If a valid code is received, the control circuit 14 changes that state of a devise 15 which disables the vehicle, say by inhibiting the vehicle's ignition or engine management system.

[0022] It will be appreciated that the system as hereinbefore described is the same as a conventional vehicle immobilization system and the remote control device 11 can be used by the person in charge of the vehicle to disable the vehicle when it is left and to enable it upon return to the vehicle.

[0023] However, in accordance with this invention, the vehicle unit 10 is also arranged to respond to control signals transmitted from a further remote control device 12 kept and operated by the police.

[0024] Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, the remote control 12 comprises self-contained unit 21 for mounting in a police vehicle. Alternatively, it may comprise a portable unit for use on the roadside. The unit 21 comprises a front panel having a plurality of alpha-numeric keys 16, which can be used to enter the type (e.g. the make or model) of the vehicle to be stopped. The unit 21 is connected to two aerials 20, 40, both of which are directional. In a preferred embodiment, the aerials 20, 40 are respectively mounted to transmit forwardly and rearwardly from a police vehicle.

[0025] Referring again to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the keys 16 on the front of the unit 21 are connected to a control circuit 17, which determines the formats of the enabling and disabling signals that are appropriate to the identified vehicle.

[0026] The control circuit 17 may comprise a database, which provides details of the required code formats, once the registration number, make or model of the vehicle has been entered. Alternatively, the control circuit 17 may be arranged to obtain the details via radio link from a police database or the like. In a further embodiment, the code formats of the signals to be transmitted can be input manually, once the operator has determined the correct formats over the radio from police headquarters.

[0027] The selected code formats to be transmitted are fed to a transmitter circuit 18, which modulates the codes onto respective high frequency radio carrier waves. The output power of the transmitter circuit 18 is preferably much greater than the output power of the transmitter of the conventional remote control device 11.

[0028] The normal codes that need to be transmitted from the remote device 11 to disable and enable the vehicle are quite complex and often change each time the vehicle is disabled. Thus, the police unit 21 may transmit a master code, which is different from the normal code, the vehicle unit 10 bring arranged to respond to either the normal code or the master code.

[0029] This master code can be unique to the vehicle, to the make of vehicle or to the model of vehicle. In the latter two cases, the directional aerial 20 on the police unit helps to ensure that adjacent vehicles of the same snake or model are not also disabled when the police unit 20 is activated.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings, once the identity of the stolen vehicle 30 has been entered into the unit 21 in the police vehicle 31, the stolen vehicle 30 can be disabled by pursuing it in the police vehicle 31 and actuating a switch 22 (FIG. 2) on the police unit 21 to cause a directional disabling signal D to be transmitted to the stolen vehicle 30. The power of the transmitted disabling signal D is sufficient to reach the unit 10 in the stolen vehicle 30 from a distance of 50 meters or more.

[0031] When the unit 10 in the stolen vehicle receives the signal D from the unit 21 in the police vehicle 31, the stolen vehicle is partially disabled, so that it gradually loses power, thereby enabling the driver to be apprehended safely, without any need for a prolonged high speed pursuit.

[0032] The unit 21 in the police vehicle 31 also transmits an enabling signal E rearwardly via the directional aerial 40, so that any innocent vehicles that are unintentionally disabled are automatically enabled as the police vehicle 31 passes them by.

[0033] Preferably a vehicle which has been disabled by the police cannot be enabled using the remote control device 11. Thus, a thief in possession of such a device cannot enable a vehicle which has been disabled by the police.

[0034] It should be understood that the embodiment described herein is merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art may make variations and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

I claim:
 1. An immobilization system for a vehicle, the system comprising: a first remote control device comprising means for transmitting a predetermined wireless control signal; a second remote control device comprising means for transmitting a selectable wireless control signal in a first direction, means for transmitting a wireless enable signal in a different direction, and externally operable means for selecting the selectable control signal and enable signal to be transmitted; a vehicle unit comprising a receiver for receiving said control and enable signals, and means for disabling said vehicle in response to either said predetermined control signal or said selectable control signal and for enabling said vehicle in response to said enable signal, said predetermined control signal being substantially unique to said receiver.
 2. An immobilization system as claimed in claim 1, in which said externally operable means comprises a device for entering the vehicle's registration number and means for selecting the selectable control signal and enable signal to be transmitted from the vehicle's registration number.
 3. An immobilization system as claimed in claim 1, in which said externally operable means comprises a device for entering the make of the vehicle and means for selecting the selectable control signal and enable signal to be transmitted from the vehicle's make.
 4. An immobilization system as claimed in claim 1, in which said externally operable means comprises a device for entering the model of the vehicle and means for selecting the selectable control signal and enable signal to be transmitted from the vehicle's model.
 5. An immnobilization system as claimed in claim 1, in which the disabling and enabling means is arranged to enable a disabled vehicle in response to said predetermined control signal.
 6. An immobilization system as claimed in claim 4, in which the disabling and enabling means is arranged to prevent enablement of a disabled vehicle in response to said predetermined control signal, following disablement in response to said selectable control signal.
 7. An immobilization system as claimed in claim 1, in which said means for transmitting a selectable wireless control signal in said first direction and said means for transmitting a wireless enable signal in said different direction comprises respective directional aerials.
 8. An immobilization system as claimed in claim 1, in which the power of the signals transmitted by the second remote control device is substantially greater than the power of the signal transmitted by the first remote control device.
 9. An immobilization system as claimed in claim 1, in which the disabling and enabling means is arranged to partially disable said vehicle in response to said selectable control signal.
 10. An immobilization system as claimed in claim 9, in which the second remote control device comprises means for selecting the degree of partial disablement.
 11. An immobilization system for a vehicle, the system comprising: a first remote control device comprising means for transmitting a predetermined wireless control signal, a second remote control device comprising means for transmitting a selectable wireless control signal and externally operable means for entering the type of the vehicle and for selecting the selectable control signal to be transmitted from the entered type; a vehicle unit comprising a receiver for receiving said control signals, and means for disabling said vehicle in response to either said predetermined control signal or said selectable control signal, said predetermined control signal being substantially unique to said receiver.
 12. An immobilization system as claimed in claim 12, in which said second remote control devise comprises means for transmitting a selectable enable and means for selecting the selectable control signal to be transmitted from the entered vehicle typo, said vehicle unit comprising means for enabling said vehicle in response to said enable signal. 